한국 비파의 소실에 대한 고찰 - 당비파를 중심으로 -

Abstract

The origin of the musical instrument pip'a 琵琶 (short lute) was Western China. It was introduced to Korea through China, and was played actively for some time during the history of Korean music. The history of pip'a in Korea exceeded one thousand years, however, currently, it has almost disappeared. The pip'a was introduced to both China and Korea from outside countries. However, in China, it is still being actively performed, and is also acknowledged as a Chinese traditional instrument. On the other hand, it has almost completely disappeared in Korea, and is no longer performed on stage. What are the reasons for the disappearance of pip'a in Korea? In order to answer this question, this thesis looks into the history of pip'a first, and then the reasons for its disappearance, using the Tang pip'a 唐琵琶 (lit. Chinese pip'a, i.e. four-stringed lute) as the example. The reasons can be summarized as below. First, in the Akhak kwebŏm 『樂學軌範』 (Guide to the Study of Music), there are 12 frets for the Tang pip'a. Only the first to fifth fret has all four strings on it. This means that only the frets one to five enable the use of all four strings. It had less frets than the Chinese pip'a of the same dynasty, and also a smaller number of frets that could be used. Therefore, it can be inferred that the range of keys would have been limited. Second, the performance technique is also a reason for the pip'a’s dis- appearance. In other words, the division of frets, the usage of strings, left-hand and right-hand techniques are also reasons for its disappearance. Third, the reason for the pip'a’s disappearance can also be found in its limited range of performance. Fourth, the reason for the pip'a’s disappearance can be found in the social awareness towards the pip'a. Fifth, there were some skilled pip'a performers in the Chosŏn 朝鮮 Dynasty, however other performers were not so skilled. Even the techniques of skilled performers were not passed down properly. There were very limited efforts to restore or succeed the pip'a, which is an accomplished reason for its disappearance. Likewise, the limitations in the pip'a’s structure, performance techniques, performance range, social awareness, and efforts for succession have been revealed as the reasons for the pip'a’s disappearance. There may be other factors other than the ones mentioned above that have contributed to its disappearance. Furthermore, it needs to be considered how to proceed in restoring and succeeding the pip'a.